11 best label printing software to create and print stunning labels

Labels are a great way of neatly arranging and organizing your stuff, be it CDs, DVDs, books, or other materials.

But most people still use a felt or marker pen to write on the labels, which can be a daunting task if you have a lot of things to label. This is why label printing software comes highly recommended for the job.

Not only does label printing software take away the hassle of having to write on each label by hand, it also saves you more time and reduces stress on your part.

There are downsides to selecting the wrong label printing software especially in commercial or industrial settings, so you need to get the right one.

We checked out the best label printing software that will ease off the pressure and save you hours of labor, and here are our top picks.

Best label printing software for Windows PCs

Free label printing software

LabelJoy

Avery Design and Print

Papilio Label Helper

Inkscape

Paid label printing software

Aulux

Label Factory Deluxe

BarTender

Acoustica

Disc Labeler 7

NiceLabel

Handy Label maker

Free label printing software

1. LabelJoy

This label printing software is engineered to create and print labels for just about anything you have like folders, cards, letters, badges, and other items, either fully or partially.

You can also easily create price tags superfast, with so many templates to choose from that are preset for any label creation and printing use. With LabelJoy, you get a WYSIWYG (what you get is what you see) user friendly interface, so you know that’s exactly what will be printed. It supports most major graphic formats such as JPG, PNG, GIF and PDF among others.

All you need to do is follow three simple steps and you’re ready to get a custom printed label for your items. What’s more, you can generate, export and/or print barcodes with its QR code generator, and import data from other sources such as Excel, Outlook, Access and others.

With more than 1500 clipart choices for creating custom stickers and labels, plus 6500 layouts in its internal library, LabelJoy is one of the best label printer software tools you can get and use to print labels in your preferred format, or use custom size paper.

You can also edit text, customize your graphics with effects such as transparency, fading, adding texture and borders. This software is available for free download, and in 18 different languages from Bulgarian, English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Greek, Russian, Romanian, Danish, German, and many more.

2. Avery Design and Print

This label printing software is popular, and compatible with Windows operating system. Its features include not just label sheets, but you can also do other things like name tags and business cards.

It is available for free but you can only use with Avery products. Other features include customized labels, a free gallery with lots of images, fonts, and you can upload your designs online and access them from your computer or other devices.

3. Papilio Label Helper

This is a freely available label printing software, which you can use for up to 30 days without registration, after which you’ll need to sign up to use.

However, you need to install DirectPlay to take advantage of the tool and its features, which include colorful templates, cloning options for multiple labels, text insertion and editing, change pagination, position alignment, background color selection, and outline printing options.

Simply open Papilio Label Helper, create a new project, select a template, and create your label based on your preferences using the tools in this software. Finally save your project and go to press.

4. Inkscape

Although this is a vector graphics editor tool, it doubles as a label printing software too. Its features include photo or image and text editing tools, and support for most graphic formats such as SVG, PNG, WMF, PDF, among so many others.

All you need to do to print amazing labels with Inkscape is draw a label, and use the different tools to make your preference settings for the labels (you can also create multiple labels simultaneously using the Cloning option), create your label, then save and print it out.

Paid label printing software

1. Aulux

Aulux not only provides top quality label printing software, but also boasts a wealth of over 15 years’ experience in bar code design and generating software for organizations worldwide.

It is a Gold Award Winning software and one of the top picks in the industry for barcode and label making owing to its fast, easy to use, reliable and powerful labeling solutions.

Among its top label printing software products is the Barcode Label maker, which is an advanced, professional but easy to use labeling software.

This provides a complete barcode and label design solution for desktop or enterprise and you can print barcodes, text and/or graphics on standard printers, or thermal transfer barcode printers. It also offers a WYSIWYG feature so you can see exactly how your labels will turn out, using smart design tools in a Windows compatible user interface.

Create labels accurately and quickly with a wide range of fields such as date, time, data, plus you can easily edit with options such as resizing, adding shapes, moving, rotation, ruler measurements, and print preview. It comes with over 2000 predefined label templates, plus supports Excel and Access programs.

Other special features include over 50 industrial symbol libraries such as electrical, hazardous material, packaging and many others. It also supports most major graphic formats such as GIF, JPG, PNG, WMF, BMP, TIF and TGA, plus you can export barcode images to a picture file, and control the printing quantity for each data item.

It is easy to install and is available for free download in different languages such as English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and many others.

2. Label Factory Deluxe

This label printing software has over 1500 predesigned label formats and templates, over 50,000 clip art images, and more than 600 fonts just so you can create professional labels in the shortest time possible.

It comes at a price though, for $29.99, and is compatible with Avery labels as well. Its boxed version also comes with a free CD/DVD labeling kit and an applicator. Simply create your custom labels in three easy steps, and enjoy the powerful, yet simple label printing application with the most sophisticated features money can buy.

It uses wizards to help you make simple or complex labels superfast, plus you can import data from Excel, Access or Outlook, and its built-in address book allows for creation of personalized labels. Pretty cool right?

3. BarTender

At your service! This label printing software takes away the hassle and time loss that comes from having to create labels one by one using your own handwriting.

You can create and automate labels, RFID, plastic cards and so much more as this software encodes the labels quickly and correctly, then prints them consistently, and accurately.

This has helped so many organizations and individuals increase their efficiency, reduce costs and errors, plus meet regulatory requirements all in one go.

These intelligent templates help companies produce a large variety of label designs without having to create and keep separate files in the system. You can tell the templates, layers and objects when to print on a single or multiple condition.

You can also password protect layers (to prevent unauthorized access or edits), and share global data fields like serial numbers – pretty intuitive! This label printing software features over 400 preformatted and ready to use components with over 60 symbologies, RFID support, advance design and printing, as well as the best technical support around the world.

You can get the Basic or Professional Edition, or you can also opt for the Automation or Enterprise Automation editions of BarTender. Clearly a lot of detail and precision went into this label printing software.

4. Acoustica

In just 4 simple steps, you can create and print amazing labels using the Acoustica label printing software. To use this software, you need a 1GHz or faster processor, Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 OS, 1GB RAM for 32 bit Windows or 2GB for 64 bit, a printer, and 100 MB free hard disk space on your computer.

Its salient features include tracking or data management, image or artwork importation and exporting of label designs in either JPEG, PNG, BMP file formats, with hundreds of complete label designs and over a thousand background images for your use. It also features image effects such as opacity, shadows, contrast and brightness control, plus you can edit and/or format text, typefaces, fonts, and other text properties.

One of the unique features is the I need to make a label but I’m in a big hurry wizard, which lets you create complete labels in a quick, short time. You can also click and drag images, text, and shapes to your preferred position, use a variety of basic colored shape objects on your labels, add layers, and so much more.

5. Disc Labeler 7 p

Designed by SureThing, this software is not just easy to use, but powerful for creating effortlessly impeccable labels, covers and other media packaging. It is also Windows 10 ready, and promises to deliver nothing but professional results.

Its features include scalable vector graphics capability (WYSIWYG), an image library with thousands of colorful images which you can use as backgrounds or clipart, plus symbols but the numbers vary with the edition you select. You can also create and manage playlists for re-use in future label designs, and use its Circular Text tool to create text that matches the contour of the CD or DVD edges with any font and size.

If you have your own images you want to use, you can insert/import or scan them directly to your label designs and use them as backgrounds, or even create collages and so much more. It also comes with photo editing tools, and seamless support for most major printer models without the need to change driver settings.

If you need more information, Disc Labeler 7 has built-in video tutorials so you can get lessons, tips and tricks to help with your labeling experience. System requirements include Windows 7/8.1/10, 2GB memory (4GB recommended), 400MB free hard disk space, 1024×768 display resolution, a Windows compatible printer, and access to the Internet for software activation.

It is available to try out for free for up to 15 days at no risk, after which you can decide to b uy it or remove it from your computer. Editions include the SE, Deluxe, and Gold, which cost $19.95, $29.95 and $34.95 respectively.

If you’re on Windows XP, you can still get the Disc Labeler 6, otherwise upgrade to 7 and enjoy the best labeling experience in a label printing software.

6. NiceLabel

Sometimes you want to design and print labels very quickly without needing help from your IT guy or other people. Here’s where NiceLabel’s label printing software comes in.

It is one of the most intuitive, professional label printing software that lets you print labels for various purposes. With NiceLabel, you’re sure of a system rich with features, and professional output.

The interface may not look all mod and cool, but you’ve got all the tools you need in one set. Other features include importing and exporting projects, access to external databases, batch printing with incremental serial codes, photo editing and text editing tools, plus you can store and use your created labels.

It is available for free with a 30-day ready-to-use trial version, or you can also get the premium version with pricing packages including the Designer Express, Designer Standard, Designer Pro, and PowerForms Desktop.

The advantages you get from NiceLabel software include efficiency of printing, time saving, focus on your core business, plus quick and easy designs without the need for technical training or coding knowledge.

NiceLabel also includes a label designer, document management and web printing system, integrated printing, application builder, and it is scalable from as few as five to thousands of users in different locations (including suppliers and manufacturers).

7. Handy Label Maker

This is a handy label printing software with not so many features as most of these described in this article, but it does the job either way, and does it well.

It comes with an easy to use interface, allowing you to import or export data, contacts, and other information, plus you can print mailing addresses on labels and/or envelopes with an option to select sizes for the same.

You also get to save and manage your contacts for upcoming and future projects you wish to work on. It is available for free but with a limit of 20 contacts, or you can buy the premium version at $9.95.

Note: Whether you’re printing only a few sheets of labels on a standard printer, or you’re in a commercial set up, you need a dedicated label printing software that is reliable, accurate, and efficient to avoid disastrous outcomes such as delaying supply chains, or endangering lives.

Either way, you get the advantage of saving time, money, eliminating errors, controlling labor costs, and maintaining efficiency while meeting regulatory requirements (especially for businesses).